Abdurrahman Wahid to meet Lee Kuan Yew<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Noted Muslim leader Abdurrahman Wahid is
\nscheduled to visit Singapore on Tuesday to meet senior minister
\nLee Kuan Yew, a Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) executive, M. Fajrul
\nFalaakh, said over the weekend.<\/p>\n
Fajrul said that during his Singaporean trip NU chairman
\nAbdurrahman, widely known as Gus Dur, was expected to speak at
\nthe Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies, the same
\ninstitution which recently received the Indonesian Democratic
\nParty of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) chairwoman, Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri.<\/p>\n
"Gus Dur will meet Lee Kuan Yew to talk about the current
\ndevelopment in Indonesia, his wish to help the nation cope with
\nthe present problems and improve relationship between Indonesia
\nand Singapore," Fajrul told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
On Sunday the Kompas daily quoted Abdurrahman as saying that
\nhe would no longer meet former president Soeharto. His much
\ncriticized meetings, he has said, was aimed to coax Soeharto to
\nreign in his loyalists who he believed incited current widespread
\nviolence. But violence has continued. "There are limits to my
\npatience, I no longer see any use in coaxing him," he said.<\/p>\n
In January, Abdurrahman asked former Singapore prime minister
\nLee to become an international adviser with the National
\nCommission for Truth-Seeking and Reconciliation. Abdurrahman
\ndelivered his request through Singaporean envoy Edward Lee.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman, who leads the 35-million-strong Muslim
\norganization, has solicited international support for his planned
\ncommission. Among the world leaders he has nominated to sit on
\nthe team are Nelson Mandela, Vaclav Havel, Oscar Arias Sanchez
\nand Jimmy Carter.<\/p>\n
He also plans to involve domestic figures, including
\nYogyakarta Governor Hamengkubuwono X, Megawati, Julius Kardinal
\nDarmaatmadja of the Indonesian Bishops Council and JM Pattiasina
\nof the Indonesian Communion of Churches.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman has yet to inaugurate the commission, which was
\noriginally scheduled to be operational by the end of February.<\/p>\n
The commission would address concerns over the many rights
\nabuse cases that have gone unsolved for years.<\/p>\n
The team, once established, will be assigned to uncover the
\ntruth of the cases and foster reconciliation among the parties
\ninvolved. (edt)<\/p>",
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